I'd try some general patterns such as (in parenthesis are sizes if I could only choose one for the sake of simplicity):Pheasant tails 18Prince nymphs 14Walts worm 14Hares ear 16Zebra midge 20Scuds 16

And not a nymph but San Juan worms on a Size 12 hook. Rainbows love em'.

Keep it simple while you are starting out and don't worry too much about matching the hatch perfectly. The flies mentioned look like many species of nymphs in general. Fish them with confidence and you should hook into some fish after a few outings.

More importantly, adjust your depth and weight frequently- it's more important than the pattern itself. Try to get it so you are ticking bottom but not hanging up on every cast (hanging up sometimes is okay and let's you know you are down where the fish are). Don't worry about losing flies. Get a good drift in the right place and an opportunistic trout will take it, and don't get discouraged if you dont find success right away!

thanks for the info really appreciate it. the thing that's drives me nuts about fly fishing is all the knots you need to know. I;ve tried the loops that you heat shrink on and had no luck at all with those so I guess I will have to learn all those knots.

kobalt335 wrote:You only need a few knots at first. Perfection loop and improved clinch. Everything after that is just a bonus.

Yep. Add a double surgeon's (just a double overhand knot basically) for stepping down tippet and you can do everything you need with those 3. That's all I use, and sometimes I catch fish, even nymphing.

chucksportster wrote:my biggest pain in the butt knot is the nail knot to tie leader to fly line.

Try using a loop to loop setup with perfection loops on both ends. You can even get fly lines with the loops pre-manufactured in. Just tie a small perfection loop in the end of your leader. A furled leader works well for this. Doesn't noticeably affect casting/presentation performance IMO unless you're a legit pro caster...which I'm not.

I'm all for loop to loop connections too. I have never used or tied a nail knot. I'll agree that a clinch knot, double surgeons, and perfection loop are all you really need. There are many more I tie and use, but not all that often in most fishing. I'm a super knot junkie though and tie a ton of knots in rope but those are a different story.

Triple is stronger but you're more likely to weaken the line when tying it. Make sure to lubricate and tighten from all four ends. Just pulling the tag ends tight will make the knot fail for sure. If you're new to knot tying get comfortable with double for a while before the triple. It's a great, simple and strong knot either way.

I've been using a double surgeons knot for years to connect sections of a hand tied leader. I agree that lubricating the knot while drawing it tight and making sure it seats properly is the key to any good knot. I've landed many 20 lb carp on leaders tied with double surgeons knots and never remember one failing for me. I've had knots at the fly fail and have straightened out many hooks while fighting heavy carp. The double surgeon knot is a good strong knot and very simple to tie.

I have only used double surgeon's knots in the past and haven't had a break. I switched to furled leaders with a looped end and a small tippet ring a year ago or so and haven't switched back. Much easier to add and change tippet.

Posted on: 9/14 11:39

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Common sense is like deodorant. The people that need it the most, never use it.

For line to leader connection, braided loop has treated me well for 30 years. Might have had one failure during that time period. It goes through the guides much easier and smoother than nail knot / perfection loop. The downside is that it's a PITA to attach. I cut approx 1/3 of the braided sleeve off. Inchworm the line into the sleeve. I then take a nail knot tool and tie nail knots with fluoro. 5-6 evenly spaced knots of 2x. Trim it close so it doesn't gather algae and you're done. You can then attach leader by loop to loop or by improved clinch. Zips right through the guides. I believe Cortland makes a standard and floating version. I usually nip off welded loop, zap the end of the line and then add the loop. I've tried just about every method and this is by far the best at going g through the guides.

Nothing worse than getting the leader connection into the guides and the fish makes one last run.... breaking you off. I can post pics if anyone wants to try it but isn't clear on how to make it happen.

For sink tips, I've done the same, added a few drops of zap a gap and colored it black with a sharpie so it blends in better.

Triple is stronger but you're more likely to weaken the line when tying it. Make sure to lubricate and tighten from all four ends. Just pulling the tag ends tight will make the knot fail for sure. If you're new to knot tying get comfortable with double for a while before the triple. It's a great, simple and strong knot either way.

No problem tying it and seating it properly, it's what I use for my dropper tags typically. JW as certain "improved" knots are actually weaker than their predecessors, like the improved clinch for instance (from what I've heard, I never bothered with extra step... If I wanted a stronger similar not I just use a trilene)